title: Role of infectious agents in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: facts and controversies.
abstract: The etiology of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) remains unknown, with potential infectious causes having been explored. This contribution evaluates the evidence suggesting an infectious etiology and pathogenesis of the disease, characterizes the relationships between various specific pathogens and CTCL, and discusses some of the difficulties in establishing a causal link between infectious agents and CTCL carcinogenesis. Researchers have evaluated CTCL specimens for evidence of infection with a variety of agents, including human T-lymphotropic virus, Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus-8, and Staphylococcus aureus, although other pathogens also have been detected in CTCL. Although there is significant evidence implicating one or more infectious agents in CTCL, studies to date have not linked definitively any pathogen to disease development, and various studies have yielded conflicting results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Judah J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mirvish
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Rebecca G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Pomerantz
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Louis D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Falo
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA. Electronic address: geskinlj@upmc.edu.
authors.forename: Larisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Geskin
mesh_terms: D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000821:virology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification